On Saturday, December 5, the night will be aglow with thousands of Christmas lights as, together with the Strawberry Festival, the City of Pasadena hosts its annual Holiday Lighted Parade. It will be the second year for the parade, which is held along a mile-long route at the Pasadena Convention Center & Fairgrounds. There is no cost of admission or entry, and everyone in the community is invited to participate.

At 7 p.m., the parade will begin in the Red Bluff Parking lot on the Pasadena Fairgrounds, proceed down Jimmy Harris, then go in front of the Convention Center, down the Midway and finally end in the Red Bluff Parking lot. Steve Andreno, chairman of the committee planning the parade, said at that time, floats representing groups throughout Pasadena will line up, ready to help officially kick off the holiday season.

"The whole idea behind this parade was to give people in our community a way to come together and celebrate the holidays," Andreno said. "We want the entire city to come out, be a part of it and show their holiday spirit."

To be a part of the parade, entries must be lighted and cannot be an 18-wheeler, due to size restrictions of the route. They should not be political in nature. Also, for safety reasons, candy is not allowed to be thrown, though it can be passed out by walkers in the parade.

Awards will be given in four categories: best overall, best lighted entry, most holiday spirit and most unusual. Entries can be received by the Strawberry Festival as late as December 3.

"There are no entry fees or anything. This is just a community event, and it is completely free for everyone involved. It’s just something fun that is still sort of new, and we’re hoping to grow it even more into an annual event for people to enjoy," Andreno said.

The idea for the parade grew out of a discussion with Mayor Johnny Isbell, who expressed an interest in creating a new event to bring the community together to celebrate the holidays. After discussing different possibilities, representatives from the Strawberry Festival and the City agreed that a parade of lights would perfectly complement the City’s traditional holiday events, and last year’s parade was planned. Andreno said it was very successful and, even more importantly, was very well-received by the community.

"The parade, like all of these events, was created with our residents in mind. The holiday season is a great opportunity for us all to get together and celebrate the wonderful community that we are a part of," Mayor Johnny Isbell said.

For more information about the Holiday Lighted Parade or to download the rules for the event, visit www.strawberryfest.org.